Leap Academy with Ilana Golan - Client Spotlight: The Secret To Overcoming Burnout

Episode Date: August 19, 2023

What is the antidote to burnout? Is it doing less work?According to Jen, Deputy Director at the Gates Foundation, burnout develops from a lack of purpose and fulfillment. Join us as we delve deep into Jen's inspiring story of transformation and massive mindset shifts in her career. You'll hear about how she found Ilana and Leap Academy at her lowest point and how through listening to Ilana's backstory, she felt validation and how, in less than 8 weeks she transformed from someone struggling to wake up for work to thoroughly enjoying her role as the interim deputy director at The Gates Foundation Listen in as Ilana and Jen talk about the importance of understanding one's value, shifting mindset, and finding personal fulfillment in a career and Jen's profound realization that no one should have to walk their career path alone. If you're contemplating a significant change in your career or need that push, let Jen's journey inspire you to take that step.Watch This Episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/a069r0jM89g Remember - the very first step in growth is taking action. If you want help today creating a different tomorrow book a free career strategy call with us: https://www.leapacademy.com/yt-schedule  About Ilana Golan & Leap Academy:Website - https://www.leapacademy.com/Follow Ilana on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanagolan/YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ilanagolan-leap-academy

My life has changed so much since I started Leap. I mean, my energy levels have increased by leaps and bounds. My fatigue is gone. I'm excited to get up and work. I'm having fun. I mean, I had not had fun in my job in a couple of years. I was kind of just hit a wall, hit a plateau, and I'm having a blast right now. Welcome to The Leap Show. In The Leap Show, we're here to bring experts from around the globe who share inspiring stories, concrete tips, and insight on what helped them become the best version of themselves and who they are today and create the incredible life that they wanted. Subscribe and follow us. Share this with friends who are also driven and aiming for more because

you'll hear stories and tips that you'll hear nowhere else. Hi, I'm Ilana Golan, CEO of Leap Academy, which helps driven professionals reinvent, leap their careers to the next level. Now let's get started. Jen, I am so, so, so, so, so excited to have you here today. Oh my God, we have this rock star here and she knew that I'm going to call her that because she is incredible. And she is now a deputy director in the Gates Foundation, like, hashtag dream job. Let's go. So glad to have you here. Oh, my gosh, I'm happy to be here. Ilana. This is so fun. Thanks for asking me. Amazing, amazing. So your story, I think, is one of the most inspiring stories that I know. I literally try to not cry when I hear about it. Tell us a little bit about where you are now and where you've been. My life has changed so much since I started Leap. And I mean, when we met, you and I, the first time we talked, I remember coming across your materials, I think on Facebook and I watched the 30 minute free video and was like, she's telling my story.

She is telling my story. I was tapping my network, but I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. So I was ending all of these calls and people were like, okay, but I was really at a low and I was burnt out. I was fatigued. I couldn't see a step forward. And I joined Leap and I just started doing the work. And little by little, it turns out I got a new job and it's an interim role. So we talked about like multiple leaps. This is my first leap into an interim deputy director role at the Gates Foundation. It's a nine month position. I am having a blast. It is so much fun. And I was so scared going into it that this would be a jump to leadership that I wasn't prepared for. So ready, more than ready, and so supported in every way. I mean, surrounded by a great team, surrounded by great leadership, just literally night and day from where I was in March. So what does it feel like when you're just

in the flow? Like it just works. Tell me more because I think people deserve to hear this is what success feels like, right? Yeah. I mean, I can tell you COVID was a rough period. I was working from home. I was homeschooling my kids. I was extremely stressed out. I must've read five books on burnout. I was like, oh, I'll figure this out. I'm going to read my way out of this problem. Right. And, and then even when I got this job offer, there was literally no time downtime between the old job and the new job. And I was like, I'm in no condition to be starting a new job, but I just want to report to everyone from my experience with burnout is that when you land in a position that is right for you, that you feel supported in, your burnout goes away. I mean, my energy levels have increased by leaps and bounds. My fatigue

is gone. I'm excited to get up and work. I'm having fun. I mean, I had not had fun in my job in a couple of years. I was kind of just hit a wall, hit a plateau and I'm having a blast right now. So that's the difference. And it makes me feel like, why wouldn't we want to have fun? Why wouldn't we want to? When we grind, you know, in kind of like that nine to five or nine to eight or whatever has become our norm, right? We don't even remember why are we doing this? What are we trying to achieve? What is the big picture? Where are we heading? You know, like, how do we have fun, right? What's switched? Yeah, I think part of it is those exercises where you get super clear on your must have, super clear on your strengths, your past, your history, what you're interested in.

And I had found that I was on a team that from the outside looked like the epitome of the best place to be. It wasn't a fit for me. And now I'm on a team that I'm so energized by the content of the work and that it's so fun. It's completely aligned with my past. It's, you know, when you do things because it looks like from the outside, it's the right thing to do, but it's not right for you. You're going to hit a wall because, you know, eventually you just can't do something that's not a good fit for you. So you have to find the thing that, that fits. It wasn't the first investment that I've made. Oh my God. I just invested all of this money all of this time and it got me nowhere. And that's when I came across Leap and I came and I

said, this is my problem. It's not that I need more credentials. It's not that it's like, this is the work that I need to do. So you, I mean, your story and the pitch that I came across online just resonated with me so much that I would just had my back against the wall. I had to do something. And this is something I was so scared. The day I talked to you, I was so scared. After I committed, I was also so scared. I even called five of my friends and just said, I don't know what I just committed to,

but it was a significant investment. And I'm not even sure why I did it or what, what the outcome will be, but it has paid off already in leaps and bounds. But you made that fast decision. You, you decided to leap in, you know, leap of faith. What worked for you through the, through the journey? I really invested the time and it was perfect because it was exactly what I needed. And I'll say this too. I had a friend that was going through a coaching certification class before I joined Leap. And she was like, Oh, let me give you some, you know, as part of my training, I need to do some, you know, free classes. So I did that. And I found the difference between the coaching I was getting

from her, which was great, by the way, it was just, it was so nice to have. And LEAP is that network and the accountability and the rigorous modules and the work. So it was really different and really structured and that structure worked well for me. So the peer accountability, I've met tons of great people on LEAP. It was so, I mean, every call it would be celebrating someone's wins or, you know, following up and connecting with more people on LinkedIn. But I just felt my, my little work professional family growing and my, my support team growing. It's amazing because you show up just like the leader that you are. That's how you show up to everything in your life.

That's how you show up as a leader in the gate. That's why you got this amazing opportunity. That's why, you know, you're getting other opportunities from all over, you know, in terms of, you know, because you are that leader, you know, and I think that's what's beautiful about it. Because when we spot that, it's really clear that, oh my God, the sky's your limit, but let's go get it. Yeah. I mean, and I'll say too, I definitely was at a period where I had just been in middle

management for so long that I was starting to feel like I had been passed over. I was like, oh, I missed it. Other people that are younger than me are getting promoted. I just missed the boat and I'm stuck here and I'm never going to move out and out. So. Yeah. And it happened in like, I don't know, eight, 10 weeks, whatever. Right. Like it was like a record time. It was incredible to see it. And again, it's a testament to you and how you showed up. It's not a program. It's the program can hold your hand, but it can't carry you on our backs. I really was at a point where I was so frustrated. I just thought, maybe I just quit. Maybe I just quit. Maybe I'm done. Maybe I take some time off. Maybe, you know, and that's when I think I talked to you and you were like, listen, you do that and

you lose your relevance immediately. And you're going to have an even harder time getting back in. And so I think it was, I don't know what it was, but it was just the right time, the right place and the right level of willingness. And you said something that was, that I hadn't heard before. And I'd really tried every other route too. Sometimes we think it's all education. It's about our confidence and owning our value. Right. You know, and I think that was the first thing that I saw with you is like, you're like, there's nothing more you need to do. It's just this mindset shift that I needed that needed to happen really, I think. And you decided to stick around with us too. What made you decide I want more? I want to be positioned for success. I want the

support wrapped. I want the wraparound support as I head into this new role. I want to be positioned for success. I want the support wrapped. I want the wraparound support as I head into this new role. I want the counsel of my leap advisors when, you know, I'm up against a new challenge that I haven't faced before. So there was a bit of that. And then there was a bit of what's next. Like you said, it's hard for me to see beyond what the immediate thing is. But when you say you look at me, you see there's a whole long path. I don't, I don't always see that last famous words. Like, what would you say to people who are seeing this for the first time? They don't know us, you know, what, what would you say to them? I think we all need a coach. Honestly, that's my new opinion is everyone needs a coach and deserves to have a coach. And because it's, it's you, you brought so many

insights, whether it was how to deal with the recession, how to deal with inflation, how to deal with positioning, how to deal with interviewing. I mean, you have so many insights and across such a broad end, you know, number of industries that you can't get that. And you can't get that through a one-on-one coach session either. It's really the power of the career leap network. I think that is so valuable. So come in, join it, get supported. I think that's the number one thing I would say is you don't have to do this alone.

You don't have to navigate your career alone. You don't have to make these hard decisions on your own. And it really is possible to have the support that you need. Thank you for listening and hope you enjoyed this show. Don't forget to subscribe, follow, share this with friends. I'll see you in the next Leap Show.